Health
Care Update
As you probably know, on Sunday March 21, late into the night, the
Democrats passed
their health care bill. I made this statement after it passed:
The majority of Americans, including the tens of thousands of patriots
who poured into
Washington, DC this weekend, will not stand by while Barack Obama and
Nancy Pelosi tear the Constitution
to shreds. This bill forces Americans to pay for other people's
abortions, puts the government in charge
of 18 percent of our private sector economy, provides health care
benefits to illegal immigrants, cuts
half a trillion dollars from Medicare and diminishes our liberty.
Americans across the country are outraged that liberals have made an
unconstitutional
bill full of special interest bribes the law of the land. Democrats
will pay a price for their overreach.
This fight is far from over. Now the work begins to repeal this
monstrosity and restore the principles
of freedom that made America
a great nation.
On
Monday, the day after the health care bill passed, I drafted a bill to
repeal Obamacare. Watch me discuss
this effort at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nSzp4y1cDiw.
Celebrating Iowa
Agriculture
We
recently celebrated National Agriculture Week. Ag Week is always a time
to assess the state of the agriculture
industry and to celebrate recent accomplishments in Iowa
agriculture.
As
I reflect on the snowy winter that just passed and a spring season that
will be punctuated with corn
planting in Iowa,
the creed for the National FFA Organization sticks in my head. That
creed begins with "I believe in the
future of agriculture." These words have never been truer at any time
other than right now.
I
believe in the future of agriculture, and more importantly, I believe
in the future of agriculture in
western Iowa.
The thirty-six thousand hard-working farmers in western Iowa
deserve a round of applause for their work over the past year.
Western
Iowa farmers are
national leaders in the production
of corn, soybeans, eggs, beef and pork. If you were to place a dollar
value on western Iowa's
annual agriculture production, the total would be approximately $4.5
billion per year.
The
livestock industry has a long history of success and tradition in
western Iowa.
We continue that tradition by transferring those skills of animal
husbandry from one generation to the
next. These farmers produce meat, eggs and milk of the highest quality
to help meet the nutritional needs
of the people throughout our nation and across the world.
Farmers
in the Fifth District are also doing their share to wean the United
States off of Middle Eastern oil.
They are producing corn that can be turned into ethanol, which can be
used as an alternative to gasoline.
They are growing soybeans that are turned into bio-diesel, which is
used to displace diesel fuel refined
from Middle Eastern oil. Our farmers are also leasing small parcels of
land to wind energy companies,
allowing wind turbines in western Iowa
to harvest the energy of the wind. Each of these puzzle pieces goes
together to help reduce our dependence
on Middle Eastern oil.
Iowa
farmers are also leading the way in agriculture exports. In 2008, Iowa's
cash farm receipts totaled $25 billion. Iowa
ranked second among all 50 states in agricultural exports, with total
exports estimated to be $7.8 billion. Iowa
continues to lead all states in the exportation of soybeans and feed
grains.
All
of these remarkable statistics show that Iowa
has the best farming operations in the world and that the future of
agriculture is bright in our state.
But beyond the impressive numbers, the character and work ethic of Iowa
farmers make our communities great places to live and work.
We
give thanks for the successes of Iowa
farmers over the past year. We also recognize and celebrate the
longstanding and unique contributions
that Iowa
farmers have made throughout our state and the world.
